Israel: Flydubai Incident "Terrorist Act Aimed at Downing the Plane"

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Hours after the incident and despite the prior denial that it was a kidnapping, Israel considered the "Fly Dubai" plane incident, which was heading from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, as an "attempted terrorist act." Meanwhile, the airline emphasized that "it is too early to determine the reasons for the incident or its motives."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he "spoke with one of the Israeli passengers on board the flight, who informed him that he, along with a crew member, managed to storm the cockpit and take control of the pilot who was trying to sabotage the aircraft's systems."

Netanyahu also clarified in a video that "Israeli authorities are continuing their communications with the relevant parties to ensure the safety of the passengers and their return to Israel," noting that "all passengers are out of danger and the pilot who stabbed several people has been arrested."

He also considered that Israel is preparing for "potential threats" following the incident.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the incident was an "attempted terrorist act," adding that "initial information available indicates that the assailant's goal was to bring down the plane with all its passengers."

He also claimed that "the operation was only thwarted thanks to the bravery of several Israeli passengers" who stormed the cockpit and managed to overpower the person he described as the "terrorist," before regaining control of the aircraft to an additional flight crew that was on board.

These statements came as passengers of the flight were departing on a new flight to Tel Aviv, according to the French Press Agency.

In contrast, Flydubai issued a clarification regarding the incident, stating that a "dispute" occurred inside the cockpit of flight FZ1073 heading from Dubai Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport, confirming that the flight crew managed to secure the aircraft, divert its course, and land it safely at Tabuk Airport.

The company stated that all passengers and crew members are fine, and their safety was confirmed after landing, noting that necessary measures were taken to handle the incident and ensure the continuation of the flight according to the approved operational requirements.

The aircraft crew handled the situation according to the applicable safety protocols, successfully executing a course change and landing safely at Tabuk Airport without any harm to the passengers.

However, Flydubai emphasized that "it is too early to determine the causes of the incident or its motives," explaining that "the circumstances are still not fully known and are subject to an official investigation by the relevant authorities, with a commitment to fully cooperate with the investigations to uncover the details of the incident and its causes."

It is noted that Tabuk Airport received a distress call from a flight belonging to Flydubai at 8:44 AM, aiming to execute an emergency landing, which necessitated activating emergency procedures and preparing to deal with the situation to ensure the safety of the passengers and crew members.